The Role of Guidance and Counselling in Curbing Students’ Strikes in Secondary Schools in Nairobi County, Kenya

Abstract

The youth constitute the highest number of Kenya's population and due to their enormous number the society expects them to play a vital role in its future development. However, this expectation may not be tenable due to their deviant behaviour such as marked increase in the number of secondary school unrests and strikes in the Schools. This study sought to find out the role of guidance and counselling in curbing students’ strikes in secondary schools in Nairobi County, Kenya. It adopted descriptive research design. The target population in this study consisted of all principals and deputy principals in all public secondary schools in Nairobi County. Stratified random sampling method was used in selecting the sample schools, principals and deputy principals. Data was collected using questionnaires and interview guides. The quantitative data collected was analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20. The findings of the study established that guidance and counselling units in learning institutions were not effective. Most of the guidance and counselling teachers provided guidance and counselling services irregularly or at crisis times since they devoted most of their time to completing the syllabus and therefore did not have time to detect the students’ problems early enough. Unless these units were strengthened, they served little purpose in curbing student strikes. The study recommends that frequency of offering guidance and counselling services in schools should be increased and guidance and counselling departments in schools should be strengthened. The study also recommends that guidance and counselling programmes should be extended to the parents. This means that parents should be educated in order to take a more active role in the guidance and counselling of their children so that these services are provided both at home and in school.

Keywords: Role, Guidance and Counselling, Student Strikes